WASHINGTON, DC (WBBM Newsradio 780) -- The nation’s mayors will actively campaign on behalf of Chicago to help strengthen the city’s bid for the 2016 Olympics. The U-S Conference of Mayors agreed on a multi-faceted effort that will include a major publicity blitz and a national Olympic Day later this year.
“This is all about ensuring that the International Olympic Committee realizes the effort on the part of Chicago has strong support from across the United States,” said Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann, co-chairs of the U-S Conference of Mayors 2016 Chicago Olympics Task Force.
The highlight of the mayors’ plan is a national Olympic Day scheduled for June 23, an event that will include current and former U-S Olympic Athletes and local residents. As part of the publicity blitz, mayors will also target their international “sister cities” and lobby on behalf of Chicago 2016.
“This is really like a political election,” said Hannemann. “It’s convincing 115 member that we are indeed worthy of the holding the Olympics in our country.”
According to experts, it is in the best interests of the mayors to help Chicago because of the enormous economic impact the Olympics would have on the entire country. A Chicago-hosted Olympiad could generate untold millions in tourism and tax revenue for cities – even those hundreds of miles from Chicago.
“We hope this idea of bringing the rest of the world to all of our cities will help us tremendously in the economy of our cities and the nations,” said Mayor Richard Daley, the other co-chair of the Mayors Conference Olympic Task Force. “This could bring visitors and conventions from abroad back to America and that’s what we look forward to.”
Daley told his fellow mayors that the Chicago 2016 bid has the full support of President-Elect Barack Obama who has already promised to help make the pitch to the IOC in person later this year in Denmark.
“Our ace in the hole in all of this is our President-Elect,” said Hannemann. “He will be able to woo and charm the IOC as only he can to cast a winning vote in our favor but it really comes down to reinforcing that with boots on the ground.”
Chicago is competing against Tokyo, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro for the 2016 Olympics. The IOC will select the host city in October.
E-Mail Story
Print Story
